Union official sentenced for embezzlement

ATLANTA -- The former secretary-treasurer of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters was sentenced on Thursday for stealing over $60,000 from the union.

Ryan Forbes, 36, will serve eight months in federal prison.

"In this case, Forbes abused his fiduciary duties and squandered the funds of his fellow union members for his own personal benefit," United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said.

After Forbes serves his term, he will be under supervised release for three years. He is ordered to pay restitution of almost $36,000.

Forbes pleases guilty to embezzlement of funds from a labor organization, and was convicted on August 28.

According to Yates' office, Forbes' time working for the union was from 2005 through 2010. During that time, he was issued a credit card that was to be used only for authorized purchases for the union. However, Forbes used the card 285 times to make unauthorized purchases and withdrawals.

He also spent money on items for himself using the funds, including several computers. He wrote salary checks to himself using the union's bank account, used a forged signature, and turned in false fuel and travel claims for reimbursement.